"(North players) started yelling at each other," Ford said. "When we see that happening, it motivates us."

Ford scored two goals and Colton Bloecher, Aaron Horton and Max Hunter each scored one, as the second-seeded Pioneers captured their first district championship and improved to 16-1-1.

"The kids set the goal (of winning a district title) early on, but it wasn't until we beat Jerome (4-0 on Sept. 3) that heads started turning towards us," said coach Scott Bryant, whose team was fourth in the final state poll. "That game was a real turning point."

Orange faced Dublin Jerome in a regional semifinal last Tuesday, with the winner playing Gahanna or Hilliard Davidson in a regional final at 3 p.m. Saturday at Dublin Scioto.

Entering last Tuesday, Gahanna was 18-0-1 with its lone blemish being a scoreless tie against Watkins Memorial on Oct. 8, and Davidson was 15-2-2. The Lions were second in the final state poll.

Orange lost to Gahanna 2-0 on Sept. 10 but has not played Davidson.

"It'd be a little motivation for us," Bryant said of the potential rematch with Gahanna. "They're our only loss and they beat us at our place. One of the kids' goals was to go undefeated at home."

Davidson won the state championship in 2007.

"Davidson has been a little bit under everyone's radar, but they have a good tradition of success," Bryant said.

The regional champion advances to a state semifinal against Beavercreek, Kettering Fairmont, Mason or West Chester Lakota West at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Cedarville University. Mason was sixth in the final state poll and Beavercreek was ninth.

The state final will be played at 7 p.m. Nov. 13 at Crew Stadium.

•The Liberty boys team lost to seventh-seeded Jerome 2-1 in a district final last Saturday.

The Patriots finished 14-3-2 overall, marking the most wins in program history.

"Every year the program does a little bit better," coach Josh Diehl said. "We're growing and progressing (every year)."

Liberty, seeded third, defeated Upper Arlington 4-0 in a district semifinal Oct. 28 and beat Independence 10-0 in the second round of the tournament Oct. 24 after having a first-round bye.

The Patriots finished second in the OCC-Cardinal at 6-1, behind Jerome (6-0-1) and ahead of Dublin Scioto (4-1-2), Westerville North (3-2-2), Westerville Central (3-2-2), Marysville (2-5), Olentangy (1-6) and Westerville South (0-7).

Liberty loses 13 seniors in goalkeepers Eric Osswald and Joe Kon, defenders T.J. Happensack, Chris Kill, Scott Schwartz and Michael Rencheck, forwards Matt Barthel, Aaron Clayton, Piotr Perdas, Tyler Ranalli and John Schnieders and midfielders Jake Kallenbach and Jon Stegner.

Osswald was named first-team all-league and all-district and Ranalli, who led the team with 19 goals, made first-team all-league and second-team all-district.

Stegner, who scored 15 goals, and Barthel both made second-team all-league and Kill was honorable mention all-league.

Expected to return are juniors Keaton Allmaras (defender), Ben Bode (defender), Matt Bolton (defender), Jarred Boone (defender), Jarvis D'Souza (midfielder), Duncan Johnston (forward) and Parker Norris (midfielder) and sophomores Evan Cupp (midfielder) and Alex Ranalli (midfielder). Allmaras made second-team all-league.

"(The seniors) came in as freshmen when I took over the program," Diehl said. "They left the program better than it was. That's all I can ask for."

•The Olentangy boys team lost to DeSales 2-0 in a Division II district semifinal Oct. 27 to finish 5-10-4 overall.

DeSales, ranked first in the final state poll, scored both goals in the second half.

"That first half was the best half we've played all season," defender Alex Bechtol said. "Holding the top-ranked team scoreless in the first half was absolutely fantastic."

"There are no moral victories; we lost," coach Dave Sebek said. "The thing we have to look at, though, is how close we are."

Olentangy, which lost six games by one goal, defeated Mifflin 7-0 in the first round of the tournament Oct. 20 and London 4-0 in the second round Oct. 22 before losing to DeSales.

The Braves, who finished seventh in the OCC-Cardinal at 1-6, lose three seniors in Nick Cameron (midfielder), Simon Hoellerbauer (midfielder) and Ryan Stephens (midfielder). Stephens scored three goals.

Expected to return are juniors Bechtol, Zach Anderson (midfielder), Matt Cannon (forward), Joe Cockerham (forward), Zach Anderson (midfielder), Nick Jahr (defender), Chris Miller (midfielder), Kyle Oleksiw (defender), Ryan Olson (defender), Taylor Smith (goalie) and Britton Troth (midfielder), sophomores Matt Burgan (forward), Matt Cameron (defender), Daniel Dawson (defender), Josh Gardener (goalie), Jon Martin (defender) and Chase Parker (forward) and freshmen Derek Doncyson (forward), Austin Horton (forward) and Joe Morycz (defender).

Culbertson had 10 goals and 11 assists and was named first-team all-league and all-district. Bechtol made second-team all-league and Stephens was honorable mention all-league.

Cannon scored five goals and Anderson and Burgan each scored three.

•The Liberty girls team lost to third-seeded Pickerington North 2-1 loss in a Division I district final last Saturday to finish 14-3-1 overall.

The fourth-seeded Patriots had beaten Westerville North 2-0 in a district semifinal Oct. 27 and Orange 2-0 in the second round Oct. 22 after having a first-round bye.

Liberty finished 6-10-3 last season.

"Outside of this team, I don't think anyone expected us to do anything based on last year," said coach Erin Mullady, who was named OCC-Cardinal Coach of the Year. "The girls have tons of heart and have worked so hard year."

"Coming into this year, we weren't sure how we were going to be," junior midfielder Megan Griffith said. "We kept it together as a team and bonded."

Liberty won its third OCC title in four years, finishing 6-0-1 in the OCC-Cardinal. North (5-1-1) placed second, followed by Westerville Central (4-1-2), Jerome (3-2-2), Scioto (1-3-3), Marysville (1-4-2), Olentangy (1-4-2) and Westerville South (1-6).

Liberty loses four seniors in Andrea Karl (goalie), Erin Novak (defender), Natalie Radabaugh (forward) and Taylor Rambo (defender). Radabaugh was named honorable mention all-league and Novak was special mention all-league.

In addition to Griffith, expected to return are juniors Maria Bruno (defender), Katie Costin (defender), Cassie Coville (midfielder), Michelle DeVilbiss (defender), Aubrey Fisher (midfielder), Caitlin Hanna (midfielder), Kelsey Norman (defender), Megan Novak (midfielder), Abbey Smith (goalie), Ali Swafford (defender), Michelle Van Schaik (midfielder) and Bri Walcutt (forward) and sophomores Lyssa Baker (midfielder), Kendall Kirchner (forward), Steph Stewart (forward) and Tessa Yannone (defender).

DeVilbiss, Griffith and Smith were named first-team all-league. Bruno, Kirchner and Swafford made second-team all-league.